The Ties that Bind
by Naotoki Yamanouchi
Summary: SSTLC: When Sage found the young boy that fateful night, he had no idea what he would be getting himself in for. The future Cancer saint would prove to be more than a handful, but with some proper guidence, he would shine with his own light.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Just an idea I got while re-reading the earlier chapters of The Lost Canvas. I wanted a long, semi-serious Lost Canvas story, and Sage and Manigoldo are my favorites (Hakurei's not bad, either), so it seemed natural to do a story about them. I decided to write a fic about Sage training Manigoldo and shaping him into the young man he would become (and trying not to get wasted in the process. I'm sure young Manigoldo would lead anyone to pick up drinking). Enjoy, and please drop a review if you could be so kind.

Sage knew what he was doing was crazy. If his attendants came to check on him and found him missing, they would freak out-before ever learning where he'd been. The wasteland he slowly walked through was no place for a Saint of Athena, let alone the Sanctuary's Pope, but there was a strong calling in his heart that he could not ignore. Something pulled him along the path he walked. Someone needed him to find them. Sage could feel it. He was being directed towards someone in need.

That was when he saw him. A young child, no older than ten, huddled against a broken stone wall. He was staring at his tiny hands. At first, it looked as though the child were glowing; however, as Sage drew nearer to him, he realized the little boy was surrounded by souls. It was more than a bit unnerving, for a child so young to be so completely surrounded. The old Pope gasped.

The child lifted his head. Dull, violet-tinged blue eyes met Sage's green ones and the little boy smiled.

"Oh, you're surprised. That means you can see them, too, can't you, old man?"

Sage swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.

"Are the souls that wander here...your family?"

The last two words were difficult to ask. Sage wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer, either.

Those violet-blue eyes blinked.

"They're the souls of those who had bodies and normal lives until not too long ago, but that's over now. Now you really can't tell them apart from the trash. The God of Death calls it mercy."

The child cocked his head.

"Old man, you have to be careful around here. No one knows when Death will come."

The child's voice hinted amused indifference, but Sage could pick up on the bitterness that laced those words. It was sad, really, to hear such talk coming from the lips of a child so young. The old Pope knew in that moment that his heart had been directing him to this child.

"Young man", he asked. "What is your name?"

The child reached into the sleeve of his filthy, over-sized coat.

"Manigoldo" he announced as he came at Sage with a knife.

Sage pulled back on instinct, but Manigoldo still managed to get in a good blow. Sage's eyes widened as he heard the heavy cotton of his robe tear and felt the rosary beads he wore around his neck falling around his body. Had he not been wearing his Cancer cloth under his robes, his throat would have been slashed.

"I feel sorry for you, you poor bastard", Manigoldo said, his harsh words once again pulling at Sage's heart. "That was too easy."

"I don't think the God of Death would accept a child as his messenger", Sage replied. He moved his hands so the child could see the armor that protected him. "It would be bad for his reputation. Though I suppose to him, one life is meaningless."

Manigoldo stared at the golden cloth glinting under the robe. To Sage's shock, the child laughed.

"Oh! I get it now! It's my turn. If you're here to kill me, please do it quickly, old man."

The thought of killing a child turned Sage's stomach. He was especially unsettled by how this child clearly was not bothered at all by it. He'd just accepted that it was his time to die. He knew it was because of how many deaths he'd already seen, despite being so young, that made him think the way he did. Manigoldo didn't know better. Sage also knew it was possible for the child to turn his life around with some proper guidance.

He gently pulled the knife from Manigoldo's hand.

"A long time ago, many of my friends died. I know you think they became part of the trash...but...I know how they lived. They fought bravely until they reached the end of their lives. They were but one grain more in that mountain of trash. Much like you are now."

Manigoldo stared at him, wild-eyed.

"So what?", he spat. "If I weren't part of the mountain of trash, where would I belong?"

Sage smiled and rested his hand on the child's head.

"To the universe. Each one of our lives, though small on its own, is connected. Together they make up the universe."

The child pulled away, looking uncomfortable.

"I don't understand you."

"Would you come with me, young man?" Sage asked, offering his hand to the small boy. "Would you come with me to the Sanctuary, where you can learn to understand?"

At those words, Manigoldo's eyes took on the first hint of light Sage had seen in them since meeting the child. He stared hopefully at the hand offered to him, as though he wanted to take it, but was also afraid.

Sage knelt down so he was eye-level with the boy and wrapped a comforting arm around him.

"I know you're scared, Manigoldo. This lifestyle is all you've ever known. If you need time to think it over, I can come back for you. The path towards Sainthood is not an easy one, and I would never want to force someone onto it."

He stood and turned to walk away.

"WAIT!" Manigoldo cried, grabbing onto his sleeve. "I-I want to come with you."

The old Pope stopped walking and looked back at the child clinging to his sleeve as though it were a life-line.

He felt it, then, as realization kicked in. The reason he'd felt the need to go searching for this boy. This child was destined to be the next Cancer saint. There wasn't a doubt in his mind.

"Very well", he said. "From this moment on, I am your master, and you will be my disciple."

"You, old man?"

"Yes. My name is Sage, and, starting now, you will address me as either "Master Sage", or simply "Master". The training will not be easy, but if you endure it and make it through, this gold cloth I wear will one day belong to you."

Manigoldo looked as though he'd just been offered a one-way ticket straight to heaven.

"Whatever you say old ma...err...I mean, Master."

Sage resisted the urge to smile. This one was going to be a challenge. Then again, his brother, Hakurei, had always had spunk, and he had turned out just fine in the end.

"Are there a lot of kids like me at the Sanctuary?", Manigoldo asked.

He sounded genuinely curious. Probably he didn't have much interaction with children his own age.

"There are plenty of young men and even a few young ladies going for Cloth now. Most of them are going for Bronze or Silver level Cloths. As far as Gold-level trainees, there are currently four boys. I believe El Cid would be closest to your age."

"Ah, so I have to climb over this El Cid and the other boys to win?"

Sage sighed.

"The journey to Sainthood is not a death match, Manigoldo."

And it never would become such a thing as long as he was the Pope.

"You will train with the other boys, yes, as well as with the Bronze and Silver trainees, but you will not be climbing over anyone."

"But I heard people die at the Sanctuary all the time."

"I would be lying if I denied there have been casualties during training, but the numbers tend to be exaggerated. Most of the trainees who do perish perish because of accidents. If you do as I say, that will not be a concern."

The little boy nodded, then yawned and rubbed his eyes. He swayed on his feet, his over-sized coat dragging behind him. Manigoldo certainly did not look like he would be able to endure the walk back to the Sanctuary.

"Are you tired, Manigoldo?"

"I'm alright. Don't baby me", the child mumbled sleepily.

Sage wordlessly lifted the boy into his arms. Before Manigoldo could even protest, they were standing at the entrance to Aries temple.

"Whoa! How'd you move that fast!" Manigoldo asked in disbelief. "You're just an old man!" 

He appeared wide awake now.

Sage smiled and set the boy down. He took the child by the hand.

"You're right, I am old. And because of that, you will be able to move even faster than that. Now, you will need to keep your voice down. We are going to go back to my quarters, and to get there, we have to pass through these twelve temples. There aren't a lot of people in them, but the ones who are in them are trying to sleep."

Manigoldo nodded, his eyes huge as he took in his surroundings.

It was a very quiet walk back to Sage's quarters.

Sage eyed his student. The first thing the child needed was a bath, then food, and then a good night's rest. Tomorrow he would introduce the boy to the Gold trainees.

"Wait here a moment, Manigoldo", he instructed as he headed towards his personal sleep chamber.

He pulled off his damaged robes and put his Cloth back in its box. Once changed into something appropriate for sleep, he started digging through his wardrobes, trying to find anything that would not drag the ground on the boy. Finally, he figured a shirt would be sufficient for him to sleep in. They would get him training gear in the morning.

He returned to where he'd left his student and handed the clothes to the little boy.

"What are these for?"

"You need to get washed up and out of those dirty clothes."

Manigoldo made a face, looking very much like the child he was.

"I don't want to take a bath."

Sage chuckled.

"You'll like this bath"

He escorted the boy to his bath chamber.

Manigoldo's eyes widened.

"No. I don't want to go in there!"

He tried to make a run for it, but his master was too fast.

"Grah! Put me down, Old Man! I didn't come here so you could drown me!"

Sage frowned.

"You're afraid of water?"

What had he gotten himself into?

He sighed and set the boy down. He knew Hakurei would have just pitched Manigoldo in and been done with it. However, he was not his twin, and he could not do that to a frightened child.

A moment later he fell face-first into the water with a splash.

Manigoldo laughed uproariously.

"Shouldn't of let your guard down, Old Man."

On second thought, maybe being a bit more like Hakurei wouldn't hurt with this one.

Sage brushed his long, soaking wet hair away from his face and fixed his pupil with a stern stare.

The little boy stopped laughing. He had never seen anyone look quite as dangerous as the old man in front of him. His master's warm green eyes took on a sudden gleam of coldness that made him regret what he had done.

"Uhhh...I'll just...take that bath now."

Sage said nothing. He just calmly walked out of the bath chamber, leaving Manigoldo alone inside.

"M-Master Sage?" the little boy called. "Hey! Come back!"

Sage cracked the door open.

"I will be back shortly. I expect you cleaned up and out of those filthy clothes when I return."

He shut the door again, to find a smile threatening to cross his face. Manigoldo was not the first student he had ever trained, but none of the others had ever been so bold as to toss him face-first into his own bath.

Yes, this was going to be quite the challenge.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: And here is chapter two. I will be adding some OCs through out the next few chapters, both female and male in gender, but don't look too much into them. Most of them will not be around very long =evil cackle=. There will certainly be no romance. Enjoy!

Sage awoke early the next morning to something warm pressing against his shoulder. A pair of small, skinny arms were wrapped around him and he could make out a head full of thick, blue-violet hair. Manigoldo.

He gently untangled himself from his student's grasp as the memories of the night before flooded back to his fatigued brain. He was exhausted, both mentally and physically. After the child had gotten himself clean, Sage had managed to get some fish and a few apples together for the boy to eat. The child had eaten in silence, apparently too tired to stir up more trouble, and Sage had led him to the quarters reserved for his trainees. Manigoldo had thrown himself on the bed and was out like a light in two seconds. Sage blew out the flame on the lamp and set it down. He hadn't expected any further interaction with his student for the rest of the night.

Oh, how wrong he had been. He had returned to his own bed chamber, blown out his lamp, and fallen asleep-only to be awakened shortly after wards to his student screaming as though someone were trying to kill him.

Sage had jumped to his feet, still light-footed and graceful even in his old age, and rushed to Manigoldo's bed chamber, not expecting what he found there. The child was thrashing around in bed, shrieking, though he was still asleep. He was having a night terror.

"Manigoldo?", he whispered the child's name and gently rested his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Come, child. Wake up."

The boy's eyes flew open, but it was clear he was not awake. He looked right at Sage, still screaming. Sage did the only thing he could think of-he sat on the bed beside the child and took the boy into his arms, gently rubbing his back, calling his name and talking to him in a soothing voice. The terrified boy had gripped his wrists so hard he could feel the fragile skin begin to bruise as the screams slowly died away and Manigoldo's head fell forward onto his shoulders. As quickly as the incident had started, it was over, and the boy was fast asleep in Sage's arms.

Sighing, the old Pope got off the child's bed and carried the sleeping boy back to his own. Manigoldo slept peacefully, but Sage was wired for hours until he finally passed out from sheer exhaustion.

"Pope Sage, Sir? Are you awake?"

A young maid with curly, dark brown hair and hazel eyes stuck her head into his bedchamber.

Sage put on the brightest smile he could manage considering how tired he was.

"Yes, Erin, I am awake."

"I got you those training garbs you requested last night and breakfast is ready for you and the young man as soon as you two are ready for it."

Sage crossed the room and took a bundle of clothes from Erin.

"Thank you. We will be out shortly."

The young woman, who couldn't of been more than twenty, smiled and rushed off. Sage crossed over to his pupil's side and shook his shoulder.

"Manigoldo", he whispered. "Come, Child. It's time to get up."

The boy groaned and pulled open his blue-violet eyes.

"Master Sage?", he asked, sitting up and looking around. "Why am I back in your room?"

Sage frowned.

"You don't remember last night at all?"

"No, why? What happened? Was I ill?"

"Something like that...Manigoldo, do you have nightmares often?"

The boy looked so confused, Sage was convinced he was genuine when he said he didn't remember anything that had happened.

"You gave me a bit of a scare, Manigoldo." the old Pope admitted. "You were terrified of something last night. You kept screaming and latched onto me. You did not want to let go."

Manigoldo's eyes fell on the gruesome bruises that decorated the old man's wrists.

"Did I...?"

"No", Sage lied quickly. The child looked guilty, and he did not want to subject him to more guilt. "This is what happens when you get up there in years. Your skin is not as resilient as it was in your youth."

The little boy nodded, seeming to accept the answer.

Sage thrust the trainers at him.

"Hurry and get dressed. Breakfast is ready, and then I want to introduce you to two youngsters who are close to you in age. They will be your main training partners."

Manigoldo eyed the clothes Sage had put in his arms.

"This is really happening, huh? You're really going to train some kid you just plucked off the street?"

Sage faltered.

"Do you not wish to receive training?"

He had been so sure last night that Manigoldo was the one who was destined to be the next Cancer saint. Had pity and excitement clouded his judgment? Was he wrong? One of the dynamics to Saint training was that the trainee had to WANT the training. Otherwise, it was useless. Forced training usually resulted in the death of the pupil.

The child's face split into a grin.

"Of course I do! I was just wondering if you were serious."

"Well, clearly I am."

Sage took long strides to his wardrobe and pulled out some clothes for himself. He changed into the heavy robes and put on the ornamental jewelry, though he left his helmet off. Manigoldo bounded over to his master, pulling on his new elbow pads, an excited smile on his face.

"Let's go, Old Man. I'm hungry and I want to see my competition."

He tugged at Sage's hand impatiently.

"I am not ready yet, Manigoldo, however, if you are, you may go on ahead of me. Erin!"

Manigoldo gawked like a stuck fish as the curly-haired girl appeared in the doorway.

"Yes, Pope Sage?", the girl called Erin asked.

Manigoldo snapped out of his daze.

"What, do you have a harem of girls here that do everything for you? You're really a perverted old man, aren't you?"

Erin looked like she wanted to punch him, but managed to hold herself together.

Sage resisted the urge to kick his student. He really had to teach the boy some manners.

"They are not a harem. I have some young ladies here who tend to cooking, cleaning, and maintenance of this place, as well as some gentlemen who handle the hunting for food. You are to treat everyone nicely if you wish to eat regularly. Erin, please escort Manigoldo to the dining area."

The girl nodded politely.

"Yes, Sir."

She grabbed Manigoldo's wrist and jerked him from the room, catching the boy off guard. He quickly caught himself, pulled his wrist away from Erin, and grudgingly followed behind her.

Now rid of his student, Sage rubbed his wrists. They were sore, which surprised the old man. He had not expected the boy to be strong enough to bruise him like that.

The child had plenty of talent, but he was rude and obnoxious. He hoped he could get that under wraps

before the little boy drove him up a wall.

Sage brushed his long hair and grabbed up his helmet, ready to face another day. He headed towards the dining hall, only to be greeted by the sound of yelling.

"I told you to bring me some milk!", Manigoldo screamed.

"And I said that is not how we get what we want!", Erin snapped back.

Sage inwardly groaned. Of course. Erin was easily the shortest of his maids. Manigoldo must have pegged her as an easy target. If he had picked anyone else, he probably could have gotten away with his demanding behavior. Most of the maids would let it go because of Manigoldo's age. Erin, however, was not going to step down. She didn't care if Manigoldo was a child or not.

And then, it happened. Manigoldo splashed his goblet of water all over the aggravated maid. Erin's eyes widened for half a second before her tiny hand came up and collided with his face.

To his credit, Manigoldo made no attempt to land a blow at Erin. He threw his goblet on the floor instead and spat "Stupid girl".

Erin snatched the goblet off the floor and stormed out of the dining room.

Now alone with his student, Sage took a seat next to Manigoldo and poked at his very cold oatmeal.

"Does your face hurt, Manigoldo?", he asked gently.

"Pft. As if a girl could hurt me."

"Why didn't you hit her back?"

Sage was genuinely interested. Why had the child, who had shown absolutely no self restraint up until this point, held himself back from hitting a girl?

"She wasn't worth my time"

Sage pushed the oatmeal aside, no longer hungry.

"Because she's a girl?"

Manigoldo crossed his arms and turned his face away.

"Because she is weaker than I am. Somehow, I saw you there, and didn't think you'd approve of me hitting her."

Sage nodded.

"You are right about that. I would have been very angry. Have you finished your breakfast?"

"Yup."

"Good. Now, come with me. I have some people for you to meet."

Master and student exited the dining hall together and started their walk through the sanctuary.

"Master, what are all these houses?", Manigoldo asked as they passed through the empty, though still freezing cold, Aquarius temple.

"These are where the Gold saints live. Provided you make it through your training, you will one day live in the fourth house."

The pair finally reached the training grounds. Manigoldo's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't expected to see so many boys and even a few girls out on the grounds.

Sage took Manigoldo by the wrist and led him over to two boys who were in the midst of a heated sparring session. Manigoldo watched in amazement as the black-haired boy lowered his right hand, and the ground shot up around him as though it'd been cleaved. The brown-haired boy dodged easily and what looked like lightning shot out from his body. The black-haired boy lost his footing and landed on the ground. The match was over, the brown-haired boy had won.

If the black-haired boy was angry about losing, he certainly didn't show it. Both boys laughed as though they'd had a great time and the brown-haired boy extended a hand and helped his black-haired companion to his feet.

Sage clapped his hands and the two boys jumped.

"Pope Sage!" they said in unison and knelt respectfully before the old man.

Manigoldo blinked. Was his old master really that important that he deserved so much respect? If he was, then he must've had a really good reason for plucking some orphan off the street and taking him in. If he was as important as he seemed, there must have been tons of people who wanted to train under him.

This realization further hardened his resolve. He would prove himself.

"I have someone I would like for you to meet", Sage told the two boys.

He beckoned for Manigoldo to come closer.

"Boys, this is Manigoldo. He will be joining the two of you in your sparing matches. I am training him for the Cancer cloth. Manigoldo, this is El Cid" here Sage indicated the black-haired boy. "He is in the running for the Capricorn cloth. Sisyphos" a nod towards the brown-haired one "is training for the Sagittarius cloth. You will likely also see his elder brother, Ilias, around from time to time. Ilias is the Leo Saint."

The boys shook hands with each other. Sisyphos gave Manigoldo a warm, brotherly smile that for some reason bothered him. It was almost as if the older boy pitied him or something. He wanted to wipe that smile from his face.

"Sisyphos, if you would be so kind. I would like for you to spar with Manigoldo. Hand-to-hand only, no attacks. I would like to see just how strong Manigoldo is."

Aha! Here was his chance! He could knock that grin off Sisyphos's face and prove himself to his master in one shot.

The two boys faced off against one another. Sisyphos offered a hand to Manigoldo in a show of good sportsmanship, but Manigoldo knocked it away. The older boy shrugged his shoulders and charged at Manigoldo.

For a moment, it looked as though Sage's student was caught off guard. He stood there, staring, as Sisyphos's fist came towards him. Sage knew better than to assume this was the case. Sisyphos was a very kind, warm-hearted boy. Manigoldo would find a way to use this against him.

Sure enough, just before Sisyphos could land his punch, Manigoldo knocked it away with one of his own. It was soon obvious that even though Sisyphos had been training longer, Manigoldo's previous life as an orphan on the streets had given him the upper hand. He was both faster and stronger than the Sagittarius trainee.

And then it appeared Manigoldo lost control of himself. He wailed on the Sagittarius trainee with reckless abandon. Sisyphos gave as good as he received, but the match ended quickly after that. Sage was about to interfere when El Cid beat him to it.

The black-haired boy yanked Manigoldo off his friend.

"Are you trying to kill him?", El Cid demanded. "If someone falls down, you stop."

Sage helped the injured Sisyphos sit up.

"Are you alright?", he asked gently.

The brown-haired boy nodded, a smile crossing again onto his handsome face.

"You did very well", he told Manigoldo.

"Tch."

Manigoldo turned and stormed away.

To Sage's surprise, the normally quiet El Cid took off after him.

The old Pope shook his head. This had not gone as he had hoped.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Potential spoilers for those of you in the process of watching the anime adaptation of The Lost Canvas. I absolutely LOVE the scene I based this chapter off of-it's one of the few anime "additions" I liked. (I could go into a rant on all the added "bromances", but I will save that for another fanfic). I wish they had put this scene in the manga. Originally I was going to use this for chapter 4, but then changed my mind and thought it'd be better for the story's plot to switch chapter order. This means the next chapter is already written. Reviews will make me post it faster =)

By the time Manigoldo reached his 11th birthday, it was clear to Sage that the boy was ready to start learning his techniques. The boy had flourished over the past six months, his spirit fueled by dark emotions and a troubled past. Sage understood the depths of these feelings, though the boy had not actually opened up to him with them, because they radiated off him. His aggressiveness and cockiness was a cover up for how vulnerable he felt inside.

The old Pope was beginning to doubt his decision. He knew Manigoldo was more than capable of what he wanted the boy to do-inherit the Cancer cloth-but at the same time, such aggressiveness and cockiness were not desired traits in a Saint. So every day he watched his student work with other prospective trainees and hoped to see improvement.

Manigoldo was ready, yet Sage hesitated.

Because Sisyphos and El Cid needed time to hone their skills, and could not do that with the basic hand-to-hand combat Manigoldo was working on, Sage had no choice but to put Manigoldo with trainees who had yet to learn any techniques. Down in the colosseum, his pupil faced off against a boy much larger than he was. Sage sipped at his tea and watched from the top, waiting to see where this was going. Sure enough, it didn't take long at all for Manigoldo to get the taller boy pinned.

Sage dropped his cup as screaming voices reached his ears.

"Alright, alright. I give! Get off of me!"

"Don't be stupid! This is nothing like a real battlefield!"

"Come on, Manigoldo, let him go!"

By now, there was a group of trainees gathered around the fighting pair.

He reached the boys in seconds.

"Stop", he commanded.

The other boys knelt down at the sight of the Pope. Not, Manigoldo, though. He had become too comfortable with Sage over the past six months to worry about that. Instead, he jumped off the boy he had been beating on and ran over to his master. He looked like a cat who had eaten a very large canary for lunch.

"Master, how was that? I've become a lot stronger, don't you think? These guys are wusses."

Sage frowned.

"Wusses? What do you mean?"

Manigoldo didn't falter.

"They don't know true despair. They couldn't last on a battlefield."

Sage's hands shook. Despair. Manigoldo knew nothing of despair.

But he was about to learn. Sage hadn't wanted to do this to him, but this was a lesson his pupil needed. There was no more delaying it.

"...They'd become dead..."

The boy trailed off as he noticed his master did not look pleased.

So he had some sense and could tell Sage was upset. This was the angriest the old man had ever been with him.

"Come see me later, after training concludes for the day. I'll give you some training before dinner."

Sage felt a small twinge of satisfaction as the color drained from his student's tanned cheeks. Momentarily, the boy looked quite freaked out, however, he quickly regained his composure.

"Glad to hear it, Your Holiness", he replied, running his finger along his nose.

There was a hint of humor in Manigoldo's voice. It would be gone by the day's end.

Sage turned and retreated back into his office.

A few hours later, Manigoldo strutted into his office, a smug smile on his face.

"You're late", Sage said.

The boy shrugged his shoulders.

"The Pope himself is going to take time out to train me. It's such an honor I could barely walk."

Sage stood up, his full height towering over Manigoldo's.

"The only thing about you that's gotten smarter is your mouth."

The boy looked unphased.

"So, how are you going to train me? Are we going to go out onto the battlefield?"

"No. We don't need to go anywhere."

"What? We're going to train _here_? What are you-"

Manigoldo gasped as Sage touched his forehead.

"What _is _this!"

"I have separated your soul from your body", Sage replied. "Now, tell me, what is this "despair" you speak of?"

Manigoldo screamed as Sage sent his soul to the desired location-the edge of Hell.

"What is this place?", Manigoldo demanded. "What the hell is this place!"

His eyes were on the long line of souls that gathered. The little boy ran ahead, stumbling to a halt in front of a large pit. He watched with bewildered eyes as a man jumped into the hole, followed by another, and then a third.

"Hey! What's wrong with you? Why do you fall down there without a word!"

The boy reached out to grab a man's shoulders. The man glared at him, causing the child to jump back, a genuine look of terror on his face.

"They're dead", Sage explained as the little boy collapsed onto his knees. "One death for each of the millions of people on the Earth."

Manigoldo looked up at him.

"So, if they fall into that pit, they'll find peace?"

Sage struggled to keep a stony expression on his face.

"No. That pit leads straight to the underworld. It goes to Hell."

Manigoldo took a moment to process this information. When he did, he looked at Sage with a sadness in his eyes the old man had never seen before.

"Hell! No way! They died suffering-they look like they're STILL suffering! They're going to suffer for all eternity!"

Before Sage could answer, Manigoldo was on his feet again.

"Do you all know what awaits you down there!", he screamed.

Another soul fell into the pit of Hell.

"There's nothing we can do about this? This will really go on forever?"

His eyes landed on a petite woman about to jump. She rather resembled the young maid, Erin. Sage turned his head so he wouldn't have to see her jump. Manigoldo, however, had other ideas and caught the girl around her waist before she could get off the ledge.

The girl screamed and fought against him, struggling to get into the pit.

"You can't go down there!", Manigoldo yelled.

The girl continued to buck against him, causing them both to fall into the pit. Manigoldo's hand shot up as he struggled to find something to grab onto. Sage moved instinctively and grabbed the child's hand.

"Manigoldo!", he shouted.

The boy shifted his weight, trying desperately to keep his hold on the girl.

"Manigoldo!", Sage repeated. "Let her go!"

"I can't let her fall down here!", Manigoldo shouted back.

"She's already gone", Sage said. "Even if you save her from here, eventually..."

"But she'll suffer more if she falls down there", Manigoldo cut him off. "She died suffering. I can't let her suffer forever!"

"Let her go, Manigoldo!", Sage pleaded.

"No way! If this really what awaits us, then I don't even know why I live! Did the people from my village come here, too? After they died in such pain? If this is how it is, then my Saint training is useless."

The girl managed to break free from Manigoldo's grasp and fell into the pit.

Manigoldo reached out to grab her back, but it was too late.

"This is nothing but despair!"

Sage shut his eyes.

"Do not speak of despair so carelessly. Did you forget why I brought you to the Sanctuary?"

He pulled his student up to safety. The old man wouldn't admit it, but his heart was racing dangerously fast. He'd been terrified he would lose his student down there.

"It wasn't because I wanted to teach you about a battlefield of despair or a life full of despair."

He looked down at his trembling student.

"It's because I wanted you to live, Manigoldo."

"I don't understand!", Manigoldo spat, wiping tears from his eyes. "How can I see this and live!"

Sage gently rested his hand on the child's head.

"This is why we fight Hades. The King of the Underworld that lies below, and the Gods who treat humans as playthings. Feel your life, Manigoldo, and the power within it. Feel it, keep feeling it, and we will beat death itself."

Manigoldo stared up at Sage.

"Y-you really believe that's possible?"

Sage nodded.

"Yes. I do."

He pulled the child to his feet.

"Let's go back to the living world now."

He pressed his finger to Manigoldo's forehead again and in seconds, they were back in their physical bodies on the floor of Sage's office.

Sage sat up slowly, taking a moment to re-orient himself. The technique was not as easy on his aged body as it had been when he was in his twenties.

Manigoldo pulled himself onto his knees and looked around the office, at the rows and rows of books that lined the walls. The handsome wooden desk, the colorful tapestry on the walls.

"Master...how were you able to bring us to the edge of Hell like that?"

Sage stood up and smiled.

"Assuming you would like to continue your Saint training, you will learn that yourself. Though not tonight. As I said earlier, the only thing that's gotten smarter on you is your mouth."

Manigoldo stared at him with questioning eyes.

"What are we doing tonight, then?"

The old Pope pulled several volumes down from the bookshelves. He crossed over to Manigoldo and sat beside his pupil.

"I think mathematics would be a good start."

The little boy groaned.

They worked for a short while. In the middle of explaining basic equations, Sage stopped as something wet hit his hand. He looked over at the child and was not surprised to see he was crying.

"Manigoldo?", he said gently.

"I-I'm sorry, Master. I can't forget what I saw down there."

"No. You aren't meant to forget it. The purpose of that lesson is to teach you what true despair is, so when you are feeling like all is lost, you'll remember hope and live. I'm proud of you and how you handled yourself down there."

"You are?"

Sage folded his arms around Manigoldo and gave him a tight hug.

"Yes, I am."

He released his pupil.

"Why don't you go wash up for dinner and then get some rest?"

Manigoldo watched as his master picked up the books and placed them back on the shelves.

"If you don't mind, Master, can I stay here with you? I'll read quietly and promise not to bother you. I-I don't want to be alone right now."

Sage pulled a different book off the shelf.

"Of course you may stay here. Come, sit. I will read you a story Hakurei and I both enjoyed as children."

Manigoldo found the story a bit difficult to follow at times, and honestly thought the Lemurian fairy tale to be quite ridiculous, but he didn't care. That didn't matter to him-all that mattered to him was being able to spend time with his master.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been about two months since that night with Sage, and the weather had turned from comfortable and balmy to downright sticky and suffocating. As a result of the intense heat, outdoor training sessions were shortened to prevent heat-related illnesses. Instead of two or three long practice sessions, a trainee would have five or six shorter ones with breaks in between to promote proper hydration. Manigoldo was impressed. Sage really did take the safety of the entire Sanctuary into consideration.

A lot more than the weather had changed in those two months. He had been placed back in the training group with El Cid and Sisyphos after learning a few techniques from his master. Now that he was learning the techniques he would use as the Cancer Saint and had people at his own level to practice with, he was making quick progress.

He would never admit it, but his heart swelled in happiness every time Sage would put his hand on his head and tell him he was proud of him. It felt good to have someone praise his accomplishments.

He was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't notice the small, blonde-haired kid until he had slammed right into the child. The blonde staggered back and fell to the ground due to their size difference.

"Hey, watch where you're going!", Manigoldo snapped.

The child gazed up at him-there was something wrong with the kid's eyes. Why were they closed? Manigoldo's own eyes widened in realization.

This kid was blind.

"As you can see, I am quite unable to do that."

The voice indicated the child was a boy, though his long-sleeved robe, delicate facial features, and shoulder level hair made it difficult to tell.

"Has no one taught you that it is rude to stare?"

Manigoldo jumped.

"How did you-"

"Keep your mouth closed. It will make you appear smarter."

Manigoldo was beginning to wonder just how angry Sage would be at him for punching a blind kid when someone else joined their conversation.

"Ah, I see you have met Asmita."

Sisyphos's older brother, Ilias, now stood next to the blonde. Manigoldo thought the man looked older somehow. Dark circles rimmed his eyes, and he looked rather pale. Perhaps he was ill? Still the Leo Saint flashed a cheerful smile and his blue eyes glowed with warmth.

"Thank you for finding him. I turned around and he was gone."

"He's another Gold trainee?", Manigoldo asked.

Just last week, Ilias had brought in two other little boys, named Degel and Kardia, to start their training towards the Aquarius and Scorpio cloths.

"Yes, Asmita here is to train for the Cloth of Virgo."

Asmita said nothing as Ilias took one of his small, pale hands into his own.

In the eight months that Manigoldo had been in the Sanctuary, candidates had been chosen for every cloth except two. All the trainees were so very different in their personalities that Manigoldo had ruled personality out as a determining factor to who received a Cloth. They had Asperos and Sisyphos, who were probably the gentlest two people on the Earth, El Cid who was very quiet and reserved. There was the giant Hasugado who had the most likeable personality out of everyone, in Manigoldo's opinion. Manigoldo had considered himself the wild child of the group, but he had the feeling Kardia was going to take that title away from him. Degel was a bookworm, and he wasn't sure how to take Asmita. The only one had had yet to meet was the Pisces trainee, and he just knew whoever he was, he would be different.

It was then that Manigoldo noticed the baby tucked under Ilias's arm. The child had the same coloring and features as the Leo Saint and Sisyphos. A third brother, perhaps?

"Can you bring me to your master, please? I must introduce him to Asmita and I would like to have a talk with him."

"Sure can. He is probably having tea or doing paper work."

The group headed towards the Pope's chambers, Manigoldo leading the way. Manigoldo eyed the baby under Ilias's arm. Who was he and why hadn't he seen him before?

"Um, Gold Saint Ilias, Sir..." Manigoldo faltered with his words. How could he voice his question without seeming rude? He normally didn't care about seeming rude, but if he was rude to Ilias, Sage would likely punish him.

"You want to know about the baby, don't you?", Ilias responded, his voice kind. "He is my son. His name is Regulus. Usually your master has him when I am running errands for him."

Manigoldo stared at Regulus. He looked so tiny and fragile, it'd be easy to hurt him, if he wanted. A single hand placed over the child's face could suffocate him effortlessly. He needed his father to take care of him. Without him, he would perish without any hope of survival what-so-ever.

"Well, that is a morbid thought."

Manigoldo jumped again at the sound of Asmita's soft voice. Seriously, what was up with this kid? Did being blind make him able to read minds?

Regulus didn't care that he was being studied. The whole time they walked, the baby babbled and pulled on Ilias's thick brown hair. The only words Manigoldo understood were "Daddy", "sun", and, for some peculiar reason, the child pointed at Asmita and declared "puppy". If Ilias cared that his son was slowly causing him to go bald, he didn't show it on his face. His serene smile never once fell off his lips.

It boggled Manigoldo's mind to think that he had once been that small and helpless, but he knew he had to have been. Everyone started off as a baby. Had his parents cared about him the way Ilias seemed to care about Regulus? Had his own father walked around with him tucked under his arm in such a protective way? Smiled even though he'd pulled on his hair?

He really couldn't remember anything about his parents. He'd always lived with his father's sister. And then those Specters had come and destroyed his whole village and he had been forced to take care of himself until Sage found him.

"Where's his mother?"

The question was out of Manigoldo's mouth before he could stop himself.

"You just love prying into people's business, do you not?"

Oh, if Ilias would only turn around. Manigoldo wanted one good punch, just one.

Ilias simply answered the question.

"My wife died giving birth to Regulus."

Manigoldo was beginning to wonder if Ilias were on some kind of drug that kept him calm and happy. Even mentioning his dead wife, his smile didn't slip and his voice didn't change pitch.

"You don't miss her?"

"I can't miss what hasn't left."

Ilias's smile grew at the confused look on Manigoldo's face.

"Her physical body is no longer here, but that doesn't mean she's gone. I can feel her presence around me and I can talk to her. Her spirit remains."

"I..."

Manigoldo was not expecting to hear those words. They were such a sharp contradiction to the visions of Hell he had seen that night two months ago with Sage. Thankfully, he was spared from having to think of anything else to say because they had sudden company. Sisyphos and El Cid were jogging over, and Sage was trailing behind the two boys.

Sisyphos hugged his brother and nephew, smiling the whole time, and El Cid was probably the most talkative Manigoldo had ever heard him, carrying on conversation with the two brothers.

Sage, however, was not smiling. In fact, he looked quite conflicted. It seemed he had some grave matter to discuss with the Leo Saint.

The Leo Saint knelt in respect to the old man as he reached them and the children followed his example. Even Asmita got on his knees, though how he knew to do that without anyone telling him to was beyond Manigoldo's knowledge. This Virgo trainee was weird.

"Ilias", Sage said, taking on his role as Pope. "Stand, Child. You don't look well."

The Leo Saint stood up and handed Regulus over to Sisyphos.

"I am unable to complain today. I brought the boy with me."

Sage nodded and looked at the blonde-haired boy kneeling next to Ilias.

"Asmita, is it? Let's have you stand up, too. Do you require assistance?"

"No, Sir", the blonde replied respectfully. "I can get up by myself."

Asmita stood gracefully and Sage took one of his hands. His other hand came to rest lightly on Ilias's shoulder. The Pope looked at the three boys left kneeling behind him.

"If you will excuse us, I must get Asmita settled in and then Ilias and I have important matters to discuss."

With those words, the three were gone.

The three boys got to their feet. Manigoldo frowned and looked at Sisyphos. El Cid was also eying the Sagittarius trainee curiously.

The Cancer trainee was glad when El Cid spoke first. The Sagittarius and Capricorn trainees seemed to be good friends and Sisyphos was more likely to answer his questions honestly.

"Sisyphos, is your brother sick or something?"

Sisyphos looked at his nephew cradled in his arms.

"He is, but that's not why he's here. He's been talking about retiring. My brother's in his thirties now and he would like to live his life in peace with Regulus. He's even talked about possibly passing the Leo cloth on to Regulus when he gets old enough to inherit it."

"He can just step down like that?", Manigoldo asked.

Sisyphos's expression turned sad.

"Not usually, no. Usually a Saint has to find a successor first, train him or her, and pass the cloth to them. Often times passing it on involves the death of the master."

Manigoldo's heart suddenly raced at those words. Would Sage die in the process of giving him the Cancer cloth? He really didn't want his master to die-the thought of seeing those green eyes glaze over and then close for the final time made him feel physically ill.

"So to officially retire, your brother needs to find someone else to take his place."

El Cid looked down at his hands and suddenly became very interested in the dirt under his fingernails. He didn't like the direction of this conversation any more than Manigoldo.

"Right, and as he wants it to be Regulus, he's probably going to have to wait a while. Most kids don't start Saint training until they are six, and will not receive their cloth until they are fifteen. In Ilias's case, it is illogical to believe he would last that long."

"He seems alright, though", Manigoldo murmured. "I walked him here. He's bright and alert-you can tell he's sick, but he doesn't look like he's about to die or anything."

"Not yet, no, thank Athena for that.", Sisyphos responded, staring at his nephew cradled in his arms. "But eventually his illness is going to slow him down."

A silence fell over the three trainees.

This is what Manigoldo had been faced with every day during his life on the streets. The futility of life. Everyone died-Death was the one thing everyone had in common. They would die, and then they would join a long line and wait their turns to jump into the very pits of Hell. His hands clenched into fists.

Before anyone else could say anything more, Erin appeared, walking Asmita by the hand.

"Your master said for you boys to...uhh...show him around the Sanctuary", she informed Manigoldo. "He and Sir Ilias have private matters to discuss."

All three looked at the little boy. Erin had changed him out of his robes and into the appropriate training gear, as well as pulled his hair into a short ponytail high on his head. The soft golden locks bounced with each step they took. Even with male clothing, Asmita looked more like a little girl than a boy.

"You do know he's a boy, right?", Manigoldo asked.

Erin rolled her eyes.

"If I refereed to him as a boy, and put him in male training gear, that clearly means I am aware of his gender."

"Take his hair down! He's going to be a Saint! He looks stupid like that!"

"It is better to look stupid than to be stupid", Asmita said lightly.

Erin laughed uproariously and even El Cid and Sisyphos had to hide their smiles.

"Hey, I was trying to defend you", Manigoldo snapped at the blonde.

"I do not need defending. Miss Erin helped me feel more comfortable. It is quite hot today."

"He has a point", Erin said, still chuckling. "It is hot today. He was getting all sticky. Besides, it's not like no one else wears ponytails."

"Alright, alright. That's enough", Sisyphos said, stepping between Manigoldo and Erin. "Let's not stand here all day, arguing."

"Sisy!", Regulus yelled, digging his feet into his uncle's chest.

"Looks like Regulus is getting restless. He wants to walk", Sisyphos smiled. "Thank you for bringing Asmita to us, Miss Erin. I have it from here."

"Well, at least one of you has manners", Erin commented as she walked off.

Manigoldo stuck his tongue out childishly at her retreating form.

"Manigoldo", El Cid said, shaking his head. "Stop that."

"Oh, the statue speaks!", Manigoldo replied. "What else can you say?"

The black-haired boy said nothing as he wrapped his left hand around Asmita's wrist.

"I have an idea", Sisyphos said, speaking to El Cid. "Why don't we take Manigoldo, Asmita, and Regulus to the ocean? We can walk around there and even cool off a little bit."

El Cid nodded in agreement and for once, Manigoldo couldn't think of an argument.

The ocean sounded far too inviting.

A/N: When I was re-reading this chapter, I realized how incredibly long it was compared to my others. So I cut it short and used the end of this chapter for the beginning of chapter 5. Our weird group's beach adventure will not be skipped over. I don't know why, I just pictured Asmita as having some spunk and sass to him as a kid.


	5. Chapter 5

Manigoldo was not surprised to see the beach was all but deserted by the time the reached it. The only ones there besides themselves was group of boys, a little younger than himself, running along the water's edge, splashing each other. They appeared to be having great fun, and he had the sudden urge to join them.

He looked back at El Cid and Sisyphos to see what they were doing. Nothing fun, by the looks of it. El Cid held Asmita's hand as he walked the younger boy to the water's edge, while Sisyphos was busy taking off his tunic and wrapping it around his nephew so the toddler wouldn't burn.

He wasted no time stripping off his tunic and rushing to the laughing boys.

All three stopped playing and eyed Manigoldo as he came near.

"Why'd you stop?", Manigoldo asked, confused.

The boys continued to eye him. One of them was rather small, barely the size of Asmita, with shoulder-level hair that was somewhere between black and brown and heavily tinged with red, the result of spending a lot of time in the sun. He had vibrant green eyes. The other two boys were taller and appeared to be identical twins. Both were extremely fair-skinned, with waist-length, icy blue hair, so light it was streaked silver in places, and pale gray eyes.

"We don't want to fight with you", the dark-haired one finally spoke.

Manigoldo frowned. They were _afraid_ of him.

"You're the Pope's student, right? Manigoldo?", he continued. "We've heard about how aggressive you are. None of us feel like spending our off time getting beat up."

Well, now. This certainly wasn't the reputation he wanted. No wonder Sage had been so angry at him. Especially since Sage himself was one of the least aggressive people he knew.

Those green eyes suddenly reminded him of Sage's and bore into him with such intensity that Manigoldo looked at his feet.

"Oh, I don't want to fight", Manigoldo mumbled, still looking at his feet. "I was looking to play with you."

What kind of Saint would he be if people were _afraid _of him? People weren't afraid of Ilias-if anything, they respected the Leo saint for his kindness and calm mannerisms. Sage wasn't as calm or gentle as the Leo saint, but at the same time, people respected him because he was patient and kind and didn't go around scaring people.

For the first time in his life, Manigoldo actually felt ashamed for his actions. He needed to change.

"Oh", the dark-haired boy said. He stood on tiptoes to get a better look at Manigoldo's face. The Cancer trainee struggled not to laugh. The top of the boy's head only reached his elbow when they were standing normally. "Well, I guess that would be OK..."

"Atti?" one of the twins questioned. "Are you sure?"

"What would our master want us to do?", the one they'd called "Atti" asked. "He would want us to give him a chance."

He offered his hand to Manigoldo with a warm smile.

"My name's Atticus, though they usually call me Atti for short. The twins are Jacob and Simon-they look identical, but a sure-fire way to tell them apart is Jacob's got a scar on the left side of his face."

Manigoldo smiled back.

"I guess you all heard about me already, huh?"

"Hey, Atticus, if you want to play with him, that's great and all. Jacob and I are going to head back now anyway. We're starting to burn."

The brunette boy frowned, then shrugged his small shoulders.

"Alright. I'll be along in a little bit. See you guys later."

Manigoldo watched as the twins grabbed up their tunics and all but fled from them. To their credit, their pale shoulders _were_ beginning to look a little red.

"They'll come around eventually", Atticus said, looking almost apologetic. "So, you wanna spar?"

Manigoldo blinked.

"You just said you didn't want to get beat up!"

"And what makes you so sure you'll beat me up?"

Manigoldo could not believe what he was hearing. One second the kid acted like he was frightened by him, the next, he was challenging him to a sparing match.

His moment of hesitation was quickly cast aside as Atticus came at him with more speed than he had seen any of the other trainees use.

He barely was able to block the attack from slamming into his face. Now on guard and ready, he went at Atticus with a punch of his own. The boy ducked away from Manigoldo's fist with ease, his footsteps light and swift, as though he were engaged in some sort of graceful dance.

Manigoldo was impressed. Atticus was his match-what he lacked in strength, he made up for with speed and agility. They continued on for nearly twenty minutes before they both fell on the ground, their energy spent.

"That was fun", Atticus panted.

"Yeah, it was", Manigoldo agreed.

Atticus stood up, brushed sand from his hair, and grabbed up his tunic.

"I'm going to get back to Jacob and Simon now. Let them see that you haven't killed me. Catch you later, OK? I definitely want to spar with you again."

Manigoldo grinned.

"You got it. Next time, I won't hold back on you, though."

Atticus just waved him off with a flick of the wrist and calmly walked away.

Manigoldo stood and looked around for the group he had come with. He spotted them not too far away-Asmita appeared to be napping on the soft sand, his gold hair sprayed around him. Sisyphos and El Cid sat side-by-side with their feet in the water, chatting away, while Regulus was seated in front of them, playing in the mud and squealing every time a wave washed over him.

"You look like you had fun", Sisyphos commented as Manigoldo came back over to them.

The Cancer trainee took a seat next to him and dipped his own toes into the cold ocean.

"Yeah, it was fun"

The group sat together in companionable silence. For the first time, Manigoldo didn't feel any resentment towards the Sagittarius trainee. There was an understanding between them-even though he was in charge of the group as the eldest, Sisyphos had not tried to call him back. He had allowed him to do his own thing because he knew that was what Manigoldo had needed. That older-brother aspect of his personality was genuine, and for the first time, Manigoldo actually appreciated it.

"We should be getting back ourselves", El Cid said after a few minutes. "Your brother is probably done by now and will be wanting Regulus back."

"You're probably right."

There was a touch of sadness in Sisyphos's bright blue eyes, though his soft smile never faltered. He picked up his nephew and dipped him into the water to get the dirt off the child, then wrapped him back up in the tunic.

"I had a feeling you would be here"

The group turned to see Ilias standing behind them.

"Da! Da!", Regulus called, stretching his arms out to his father.

The Leo Saint laughed.

"You look better", Sisyphos commented, tipping his head to the side to get a better look at his brother's face. "Did your talk go as you wanted?"

Ilias shook his head.

"No, but I can't say I don't understand why things are they way they are. It doesn't matter anyway. The fragrance of the storm is brewing and the winds of change of whirling about."

Manigoldo frowned. What did he mean by that?

Sisyphos frowned, too.

"I-I don't understand what you mean."

Ilias simply took his son back into his arms and smiled again.

"You will understand when the time comes."

He departed then, leaving the children to ponder the meaning of his words.

A/N: Sorry for the delay. I went on a month-long hiatus for November to write my sequel to The Week. I promise more regular updates from now on.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: And here's where things are going to start getting a little crazy. Life has its ups and downs...it is time for Manigoldo to start experiencing the ups and downs that eventually mold us into the adults we become. Enjoy!

It was a quiet night in the Sanctuary. Training had ended for the day, and the weather had cooled just enough that everyone enjoyed the gentle breeze against their skin. The candidates for the Gold Cloths, minus three, were gathered at the steps leading towards the Aries Temple. Manigoldo sat on a step, slightly away from the group, and observed. Sisyphos was reading a book to the younger trainees. El Cid stood at Sisyphos's side, silent as ever, but Manigoldo suspected he was enjoying himself. Asmita and Degel were hanging onto the Sagittarius trainee's every word, while Kardia...

Manigoldo's eyes shifted towards the boy. Kardia sat beside Degel, though his pale face and listless eyes made it clear he was not really interested in the story. His long, bony arms were curled around equally long and bony legs, a blanket draped across his shoulders. Manigoldo could not believe someone so sickly and frail-looking was really destined to be a Saint. Granted, Ilias was ill, too, but the Leo Saint didn't look ready to collapse at any moment.

The Pope's student sighed.

The Cancer trainee suddenly found himself pondering Ilias's words. What did he mean by fragrance of the storm? Winds of change? The Leo Saint had spoken as though giving the three of them a prophecy, one that he was determined for them to figure out on their own. It couldn't be a coincidence that the older man hadn't been seen around the Sanctuary since that afternoon at the beach. Manigoldo had been tempted on more than one occasion to ask Sisyphos what was going on with his brother, but he always stopped himself.

"Pssst. Manigoldo."

The Cancer trainee turned at the sound of his name. He was met by a familiar face framed by longish strands of dark hair.

"Atticus", he replied, standing up to greet his friend. "How'd you get over here? I was under the impression these grounds were for Gold Saints and their trainees only."

The smaller boy smiled, his green eyes sparkling in amusement.

"Your friend Sisyphos invited me. Said something about you enjoying my company more than his."

Manigoldo blinked in surprise.

"Did he now?"

He looked over in the direction of the Sagittarius trainee. His blue eyes never left the book, yet Manigoldo could tell the older boy was smiling at him.

"So, did you want to spar?", Atticus asked.

Manigoldo shook his head no.

"It's such a nice night."

He laid down on the cool stone steps lazily, his eyes turned heavenward. Atticus mimicked his action and settled down next to him.

"What's on your mind tonight, Manigoldo?", the brunette asked.

Manigoldo turned his attention back to his friend, eyes meeting the green orbs that reminded him so much of Sage's.

"What do you mean?"

Atticus rolled his eyes.

"It is obvious you are thinking about something. You aren't your usual arrogant, cocky self. What's going on in that head of yours?"

Manigoldo gazed heavenward again.

"I guess I am confused. Master Sage brought me here to teach me the value of human life, to show me we are more than just pawns of the gods, but nothing I have seen so far supports his theory."

He nodded in the direction of Kardia.

"They expect Kardia over there to not only survive Saint training, but to be a Gold Saint. Sisyphos's brother is also ill, yet they won't allow him to step down. Everywhere you look, people are suffering. How ca n the old man say we aren't just play things?"

Atticus frowned.

"Are you suffering now?"

Manigoldo was taken aback.

"What?"

"Are you suffering now? Here, in this place, with clothes on your back and food to eat? A master who loves you as though you were his own son and friends who care about you?"

Manigoldo shook his head.

"And!" Atticus continued dramatically. "Did you not come off the streets? Did you not choose to come with Pope Sage because you didn't want to suffer any longer?"

"I..."

Manigoldo was at a loss for words.

Atticus's expression softened.

"No one can tell you what to think or how to feel. You have to make that choice for yourself. But you don't have it half bad now, and you made the choice to come here. If you spoke to Kardia, rather than feeling sorry for him because of his body condition, you might find he has a similar story to tell."

"What about you?" Manigoldo was suddenly curious. In the two months since he had befriended Atticus, the dark-haired boy had not once spoken of his past. "Do you have a story of your own?"

Atticus smiled.

"I was healed by a higher being. My parents both died of consumption, and I was sick with it myself and slowly wasting away. Eventually, I developed an extremely high fever, and the doctors could not control the bleeding in my lungs-the consumption had ravaged them. They said I would not survive the night. I was terrified. I didn't want to die. And then she appeared. A beautiful woman called my name, pulling me back from the brink. The next morning, the doctors seemed surprise to see me alive-but I wasn't just alive. The consumption was gone-it was like I never had it at all. If we are truly just pawns as you say, why would she waste her time on me?"

Manigoldo searched Atticus's face for any sign of deception. He found none.

"And you believe it was Athena?"

Before Atticus could respond, the sudden cry of Kardia's name got their attention. Manigoldo and Atticus both scrambled to their feet. The young child was lying on the ground, clutching his chest and gasping. He looked like a fish out of water.

Manigoldo really had to give Sisyphos credit. If the Sagittarius trainee was scared at all, his face didn't show it. He was at the younger boy's side in a flash, checking on his condition.

A quick glance at El Cid, and Sisyphos had the Capricorn off and running, presumably to get Sage. That left Manigoldo and Atticus to handle Asmita and Degel.

"His heart's beating dangerously fast", Asmita commented. "I can hear it."

Manigoldo didn't even bother to ask how Asmita could hear someone's heart racing when he wasn't standing anywhere close to the sick child. He glanced over at Sisyphos, who was pulling Kardia into a sitting position and holding him upright, trying to help him catch his breath.

"Come on", he said, grabbing hold of Asmita's hand. "Sisyphos has this under control. Let's move so when Master Sage gets here, we're not in the way."

Atticus took hold of Degel's wrist.

For a moment, it looked like Degel was going to put up a fight. The green-haired boy's shoulders tensed, and he refused to move.

"Come on, Degel", Asmita said in a gentle voice, surprising Manigoldo. "It will be alright."

The Aquarius trainee's shoulders slumped and he meekly allowed Atticus to lead him away.

Manigoldo had no idea where he was taking the younger trainees, just that he had to get them somewhere. Luckily, he was spared having to come up with something. El Cid was back, Sage close behind him.

"Manigoldo", Sage called. "Bring them to the training grounds and wait there."

"You heard the man", Manigoldo said to the group. "Let's go. Looks like I am babysitting the rest of the night."

"Would you rather I punched you in the face?", Atticus asked.

"Yeah, yeah. Watch the trainees, wait where I tell you. Let me punch you in the face. Do this, do that. I just wanted a quiet evening."

Degel frowned, his blue eyes suddenly unusually bright.

"It's not like Kardia wanted to get sick!"

Manigoldo opened his mouth to respond, but Atticus elbowed him in the ribs.

"Of course not", he responded quickly, before Manigoldo could speak. "He didn't mean it that way."

Manigoldo stared at the Aquarius trainee, worried that the younger boy might start crying. He had no clue what he would do if that happened. Comforting people was not in his nature.

Thankfully, Degel managed to hold himself together.

The group reached the training grounds a few minutes later. For the life of him, Manigoldo had no idea how to keep the younger kids occupied until Sage came for them. He wasn't like his master, or even Sisyphos, when it came to dealing with people. He wasn't calm and composed and able to keep his wits about himself regardless of the situation.

Atticus gazed up at the sky.

"Hey", he said randomly. "Does anyone know what that star is called?"

Here he pointed out a single star in the night sky. It was easy to tell which one he meant-it was huge, vibrantly orange, and appeared to be shining more brightly than any of the other stars.

"Nope. Sorry", Asmita replied.

"Aldebaran", Degel whispered, as though he wasn't sure if he should answer or not. "It's the brightest star in the Taurus constellation."

"Well, look at that", Atticus laughed as Manigoldo stared at the younger boy in disbelief. "He actually knows! I didn't even know the answer myself, to be honest. I've always wondered-it's just so bright!"

The Aquarius trainee's fair face bloomed with high color. He was clearly embarrassed and uncomfortable.

Manigoldo found himself clasping the younger boy's shoulder and offering similar advice to that of what his aunt had given him before she died.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, Degel. Don't ever feel like you need to hide who you are. If you're a bookworm, so be it. You'll be the smartest out of all of us one day."

"Who are you and what have you done with Manigoldo?", Asmita asked.

"Watch it, Kid", Manigoldo warned. "I can only be nice to one person a day, and today was Degel's"

Atticus shook his head.

"Manigoldo, you are almost twice Asmita's age. Ease up."

"He's older, but I'm more mature", the Virgo said matter-of-factly.

Degel's lips curved into a frown again, making the hair on the back of Manigoldo's neck stand up. If the kid started crying, he was gone.

Atticus smiled at the green-haired boy gently.

"Don't worry about your friend. He is going to be alright. I know, why don't we start a campfire and see who can tell the scariest story?"

Manigoldo thought of that night with Sage. A shiver ran up his spine. He wasn't sure if that was a tale he was ready to share.

Never-the-less, the group started a fire and settled around it. Atticus went first since it was his idea. He told them a story about a ghost who had come to him while he was in the hospital with consumption. According to the brown-haired boy, he had been lying in his hospital bed when a girl in a black dress had come to him, bringing flowers. He claimed she wanted him to play with her, though when he had reached out a hand to take hers, his had gone right through.

He believed the girl had been trying to guide him to his death. Manigoldo's mind told him that his friend was probably just delirious and dreaming, however, he didn't voice that opinion. If Atticus believed the girl was there, there would be no convincing him otherwise.

Asmita went next. He spoke of life before Ilias had brought him to the Sanctuary. His was a tale of great loss, and even greater pain. Asmita's blind eyes took in more of the world than people with sight would ever begin to comprehend. He truly was from another plane of existence, and Manigoldo swore as the younger boy spoke, a golden light surrounded him.

The Cancer trainee was chilled to the core.

As it worked out, Manigoldo didn't need to worry about telling his story at all. Sage appeared for them as Asmita finished his tale. The old man's face was drawn, and immediately everyone knew the news wasn't good.

The children scrambled into clumsy kneels.

"Stand up", Sage said listlessly. "There's no need for formality now."

"Where's Kardia?", Degel asked in a whisper so soft, it was nearly inaudible.

"He had to stay at the hospital", Sage replied. "He is very sick."

Manigoldo frowned. What could possibly be wrong with Kardia that he couldn't be treated at the Sanctuary? El Cid hadn't been brought to the hospital when he had developed pneumonia a few months earlier, and there had been times during that fiasco that Manigoldo had expected to check on the black-haired boy and find him dead in his bed.

"It's bad", the Pope continued, as though sensing Manigoldo's thoughts. "His heart is very weak... the doctors are doing what they can for him..."

And then they understood. Manigoldo knew everyone understood-Asmita gasped. Atticus's face went stark white and for a second, it looked like the boy was going to fall down. And Degel finally broke down and gave Manigoldo the tears he had been so frightened about seeing.

Kardia was likely going to die.

Atticus pulled the sobbing Aquarius trainee into his arms and gently stroked the younger boy's hair. It was a gesture that looked slightly awkward given the brunette's small size. Degel, though three years younger, was already a good few inches taller.

Manigoldo stared ay Sage, struggling to process the information given. His heart was breaking for the little green-haired bookworm, who, at such a young age, faced the possibility of the death of his first real friend. He thought of Kardia wandering around in the afterlife, standing in the line of spirits, waiting his turn to jump into a pit that would lead to nothing but pain.

His hands trembled and he struggled to form words. Finally, he found his voice.

"Is that what you do around here!", he demanded. "You just throw us away when we're not good anymore?"

"Manigoldo?", Sage looked startled by Manigoldo's outburst.

"How could you just leave him there like that?", Manigoldo continued. "W-What k-kind of m-m-monster are you...?"

He couldn't speak anymore. His anger was replaced by a grief unlike any he had ever felt before. He dropped his hands weakly to his side and started crying himself.

He stiffened when Sage dropped to his knees and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"It's alright, Manigoldo", Sage whispered calmly. "Let it all out."

And Manigoldo did. It seemed like every event in his short existence where he had held back tears sprang to life just then. He cried for his parents, even though he couldn't remember them. He cried for his aunt, and for his village. He cried for all the people who had lost their lives when the Specters had stormed through, and for all the souls standing in a long line, waiting for a salvation that would never come.

The whole time he cried, Sage held him. The old man didn't speak, but Manigoldo drew comfort from being wrapped in his arms.

Eventually, his tears were spent, and he pulled himself away.

"It's late", Sage said, acting as though nothing had happened. "We should get back."

"R-right", Atticus agreed quickly. His face was stark white, as though he had seen yet another ghost. "See you later!"

The brunette jogged off.

Sage lifted Degel, who had cried himself to sleep, into his arms.

"Manigoldo, take Asmita's hand."

Manigoldo did as he was told, and the group walked in silence back to their quarters. Sage decided it best to keep Asmita and Degel with him for the night. Manigoldo wasn't thrilled about sharing his room with the other two boys, but he kept that opinion to himself. He wanted to speak to Sage, and he wouldn't be able to do that if his master was angry with him.

A little while later, after Sage had gotten everyone settled in for the night, Manigoldo lit a lantern and slipped out of bed, careful not to wake the younger boys. Once he was sure Asmita and Degel weren't going to wake up, he exited the room and pranced into the Pope's study as though he owned the place. The old Pope was still awake, sitting up and working on forms by lantern-light. He looked up as Manigoldo entered.

His face was white and drawn. He looked older than Manigoldo remembered somehow.

"Master?", Manigoldo whispered.

Sage put his quill down.

"Manigoldo. What troubles you?"

"I don't understand, Master. I really don't. How come you just left Kardia at the hospital if he is dying? Doesn't his life mean anything to you? You told me you brought me here because you wanted me to learn the value of human life, but..." he drew a deep breath. "I don't understand how you could just abandon a sick little boy to die like that."

Sage drew a deep breath.

"Kardia won't die, Manigoldo. He is being tested right now. And he will pass. Trust in your comrades is important for any Saint to learn."

"But you said-"

"I know what I said", the old man responded, pulling his fingers through knots in his long, tangled hair. "But I never said he was going to die. I said his heart is weak and the doctors are doing what they could."

"What kind of Gods put a seven-year-old through a test like that? If we are more than just pawns, why do people suffer so much?"

Sage stood from his desk and walked over to the boy. His arm curled around the child's shoulders.

Manigoldo looked up at his master's face. The old man wore a small smile.

"If we didn't experience a little hardship now and again, we wouldn't be able to comprehend how truly joyous the times of peace are."

"But at seven?"

Sage's green eyes sparkled with slight amusement.

"You say it like you are so old. Have you forgotten you are a child yourself?"

"No, Master, but I am older than Kardia."

"This is true", the old man responded. "Though when you are as old as I am, such a small gap is truly meaningless."

Manigoldo actually managed a small chuckle.

Sage released his grasp on the child's shoulders.

"I know it seems cruel to you to leave Kardia at the hospital, but there's nothing we could do for him here."

"There was nothing you could do for El Cid, either, but he got to stay here."

"Yes, but I assure you-El Cid's illness may have looked bad to you, but he was in no danger of dying. Had be been, he would have been admitted to the hospital himself. No, Kardia's is a special case. He will pull through this ordeal and shine brighter than ever."

Manigoldo still wasn't convinced. It must have shown on his face, because Sage asked "Do you doubt Athena's will?"

And Manigoldo found he had no answer.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I hope I still have readers left after delaying this long. You may find this chapter a bit more humorous than the others-I felt we needed a slight break from all the drama. There will be some crude language in this chapter, nothing too extreme. Kardia being...well, Kardia...mainly. If crude language offends you, however, kindly turn back now. Otherwise, enjoy the update!

Manigoldo woke up to something tickling his face and pressure on his chest. Asmita had rolled over and was fast asleep, sprawled out across his chest, his hair on his face. He blinked, momentarily confused. Then the previous night's events came rushing back to him. He pushed Asmita off of him as gently as he could and glanced around his bedroom. Degel was nowhere to be found.

He grit his teeth, feeling somewhat agitated. It was bad enough that Sage was forcing him to share his room-worse yet, his bed-with the two younger trainees, but now one of them was wandering around his personal space without his permission. He climbed out of bed, determined to find Degel and bring him back before the green-haired child could get too far.

"He's not here" Asmita said, making Manigoldo jump.

Stupid Asmita! Manigoldo was convinced the kid wasn't human.

"Where is he, then?" Manigoldo demanded.

Asmita climbed out of bed before Manigoldo could even think to ask him if he needed help doing so.

"Your master came in this morning and asked him to go with him. Said he had someone he wanted him to meet-something to do with his training."

This had Manigoldo's interest. He had heard that sometimes Saints were sent to other parts of the world to train-El Cid, from what he'd heard, had completed much of his training in Spain and Atticus had said he'd spent time in Germany-but he was curious as to how it was determined who would go where.

As though reading his mind, Asmita added "I don't think they wish to be bothered right now."

Manigoldo frowned.

"Come on", he said, grabbing Asmita's wrist. "Let's go find Erin so she can feed us breakfast."

Before the younger boy could protest, Manigoldo dragged him from the room.

"The kitchen's the other way", Asmita observed, digging his feet into the floor and resisting him as best as he could.

Manigoldo had no doubt that when they were older, Asmita would be the strongest Saint of all of them and not someone he'd want to go up against. However, right now, Asmita was a 5-year-old boy, and he over-powered him easily. He was going to use that to his advantage while he still could. Manigoldo tugged the younger boy's wrist again, causing Asmita to stumble. Manigoldo pulled him up-right and continued to drag him along.

"You're going to get us in trouble", Asmita snapped.

"I'm going to get me into trouble", Manigoldo corrected. "The old man won't hold anything against you. I'm a bad influence to the younger Saints, remember?"

"I've forgotten."

Asmita's voice dripped with sarcasm, causing Manigoldo to snicker.

"Stay here" he instructed Asmita. "I'm going to sneak in, peek around, and leave. Then we'll get breakfast for real."

The blonde looked doubtful, but as Manigoldo had dragged him to a location he was unfamiliar with, he had no choice. He settled himself down on the floor, folding his arms and legs, and began meditating.

Manigoldo shook his head and carefully pushed the door open, paying attention not to be heard or seen.

His master was talking to a man with long, streaming blonde hair, though their voices were low and he could not hear what they were saying. Degel was not far away, chatting animatedly with two kids, a girl and a boy. It was obvious the younger boy had hit it off with them immediately. He couldn't recall the last time he'd seen Degel look so relaxed and genuinely happy-nor could he fathom why he suddenly cared.

He crept closer, trying to hear what the adults were saying. Unfortunately, he neglected to see Degel's belongings on the floor until he was already tripping over them. The sound of Degel's telescope hitting the stone floor was loud enough to wake the dead.

Manigoldo couldn't fight the blush that crept across his cheeks as five sets of eyes turned to stare at him.

"Ah, Manigoldo", Sage said, as though he were expecting him. Given the circumstances and Manigoldo's relentless curiosity, he probably had been. "Where is Asmita?"

"He…is waiting outside. Sir." The last word was added as a quick after thought.

The blonde man was still studying Manigoldo with eyes that were both sharp and kind. The young Cancer trainee did his best not to squirm under the scrutinizing stare.

"Your pupil?"

A warm, almost paternal smile crossed the aged Pope's face.

"Yes. If he can learn to control himself, he will be the one to inherit my Cloth."

The man chuckled, and Manigoldo felt a bit more at ease.

"Well, you certainly have large shoes to fill, young man!"

"I mean no disrespect, Sir, but I will never be like Master Sage."

"I heard", the man replied, a twinkle in his silver-gray eyes. "I hope it will not displease you too much when we take your friend with us."

Manigoldo decided, for the sake of his own skin, not to set the man straight on that one. As long as Degel wasn't being abandoned, he could care less where he went. If the clothes of the man and the two children with him were any indication, the green-haired boy would be well taken care of.

"Manigoldo, this is King Garcia" Sage chose that moment to explain. "He is the ruler of Bluegrad. Degel will be spending the next seven years studying under him."

A king! Manigoldo couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

"A pleasure to meet you, Sir" he managed to say.

"Likewise, young man. Allow me to introduce my children. Unity" here he indicated the boy. "And Seraphina." A nod at the girl.

Both children gave him polite greetings. Manigoldo eyed them with curiosity. The boy looked to be close to Degel's age and was a younger version of his father, tall and proud. The girl, on the other hand, seemed delicate, fragile somehow. It was obvious she was older than her brother, but there was something about her that seemed to need protection. She was a stunningly pretty girl, Manigoldo noticed that with slight discomfort. Her hair hung in a long, silver sheet that framed her pale face perfectly.

His thoughts didn't get much further than that when the door to Sage's chambers banged open.

"K-Kardia?" Degel gasped in surprise.

The Scorpio trainee ignored him as he stormed over to Sage, nearly knocking the King over in the process.

"What the Hell! How dare you leave me in that place!? Were you expecting me to just lie down and die!?"

Sage said nothing, and Manigoldo again found himself admiring the man's patience. Kardia was over-stepping many boundaries at the moment. Surely he had to realize what he was doing.

"I fucking asked you a question, you decrepit old geezer!"

"Well, is he not charming?" Unity commented, a disgusted look on his face.

Seraphina gasped, her hands flying to her mouth, as she stared at Kardia with wild eyes. Manigoldo had no doubts that such language was not something commonly heard within the palace walls.

The Cancer trainee's blood was boiling. He pushed himself between Sage and Kardia, his hands clenched in fists.

"Do not speak to my master that way" he snapped. "He did what he thought was the right thing."

Kardia, too enraged to think clearly, swung back, his fist connecting with Manigoldo's nose. Blood poured from his nose, down to his chin.

Seraphina shrieked. Degel and Unity exchanged glances, as though debating if they should attempt to break up the fight or see if the issue could be resolved on its own.

Manigoldo's own fist collided with the side of the younger boy's head. Kardia fell to the ground, momentarily knocked unconscious.

To complete the excitement for the day, Seraphina fainted.

* * *

><p>It took a while to calm everyone down, but once the situation was fixed, Sage sent Kardia and Manigoldo off to their own rooms.<p>

"I am quite glad I decided to wait outside" Asmita commented lightly as Manigoldo grabbed his hand.

"Save it, Kid. I'm not in the mood."

He was still fuming at the way Kardia had spoken to Sage. He felt like he could kill him.

"I think you did the right thing."

Just like that, the anger left his body. Manigoldo glanced at the boy holding his hand.

"You do?"

Asmita nodded and tipped his head sideways, his closed eyes meeting Manigoldo's.

"I do. You stood up for your master. Surely you will not be faulted for that. It was Kardia who overstepped his boundaries. He needed to be reminded of his place."

It was then that Manigoldo noticed a rather large bruise forming on Asmita's pale arm.

"Did he do that to you?" he demanded, touching the injury with just enough pressure to indicate what the "that" he was referring to was.

"He was quite angry" Asmita replied, as though it were of no concern to him. "He fell over me in his haste to get into the room."

Manigoldo said nothing. Perhaps Asmita wasn't bothered by the bruise because he couldn't see just how bad it was. Probably the younger boy registered the pain in his arm, but without sight, was unable to comprehend how badly Kardia had hurt him.

In less than a day, he had gone from pitying Kardia to being disturbed by him. He did not like how aggressive he was. It was one thing to give it your all against an enemy, but Kardia seemed willing to take out innocent people who stood in his way. In his book, that was not ok.

Erin greeted them by the door to Manigoldo's chambers.

"Welcome back" she said, smiling. "Do you wish to eat something?"

Manigoldo passed Asmita over to her.

"I'm sure he's hungry. Take care of him and look at his arm. I want to be left alone for a while."

Erin frowned.

"I thought he was supposed to stay with you."

Before Manigoldo had the chance to snap at her, Asmita spoke.

"It is fine. We had an interesting morning and he needs some time to reflect."

His small, pale hand found its way into one of her larger, tanned ones and curled around her slender fingers.

The maid looked at the tiny, chubby fingers wrapped around hers and sighed. Saint or not, Asmita was still a very young child and needed certain care.

"Come", she said. "I'll get you some food and wrap that arm. And brush your hair. It's all tangled."

Asmita shot a knowing smile in Manigoldo's direction.

"Thank you. I would like that very much."

The two slowly disappeared from view and Manigoldo retreated into his chamber. He settled himself at his desk and waited. He knew Sage would be in to speak with him.

He didn't have to wait long. A quarter of an hour later, Sage slid into his pupil's room wordlessly and sat down on the bed.

Manigoldo stared at him, waiting to be scolded.

"I'm sorry, Master" the words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them. "I couldn't help myself! He made me so angry!-"

Sage held up a hand to silence his rant.

"I do not think you handled the situation the correct way, however, I can't be angry for displaying good moral fiber."

Manigoldo snorted. Good moral fiber? Him?

"How should I have handled the situation, Master? How am I supposed to act when he is hurling such vulgar language at you as though you were the dirt under his feet?"

The Cancer trainee stared at his hands.

"You don't"

Sage's answer shocked Manigoldo. His head snapped up to meet the old man's gaze so fast his neck made a popping noise.

"I don't?"

"That was a matter between Kardia and myself. While it was very noble of you to come to my defense, part of becoming a Saint is to know when someone needs protecting and when you should respect your comrade and allow him to fight his own battle."

Comrade. Sage was speaking as though he considered them equals. Manigoldo's heart swelled in pride at that.

"So you're really not mad at me?"

Sage chuckled.

"No. However, you did cause a scene, which resulted in the Princess suffering a fainting spell. Unfortunately, you will need to be punished."

Manigoldo groaned.

"Sisyphos will be fifteen soon, which means in a few weeks, he will claim his Sagittarius cloth. Erin is going to need some help getting the things she needs from the market to prepare his party. Your job will be to escort her back and forth and to carry the things she needs."

Manigoldo nodded. That didn't sound so horrible.

"You will also be expected to help clean up. This is the time of year when trainees tend to fall ill, so you may also be needed to fetch medicine and assist me in tending to the sick."

"So I will be an errand boy? That doesn't seem too awful. How long is my punishment? A week?"

Sage's smile widened.

"Three months."

Manigoldo was suddenly convinced Sage was evil.


	8. Chapter 8

Manigoldo sighed as he replaced the wet cloth on Sisyphos's forehead. He was eight weeks into his punishment and couldn't fathom how he was going to make it through four more.

"I'm sorry", Sisyphos mumbled. "I know being stuck in here with me is the last place you want to be."

The Cancer trainee couldn't help but feel sorry for the newly appointed Sagittarius Saint. Sage had presented Sisyphos with his Cloth earlier that morning, and he was supposed to wear it to a formal induction party that evening. Manigoldo couldn't see how he would be making an appearance at the celebration, let alone donning his Cloth for the event.

"I wouldn't say last place I want to be. Erin takes forever to go shopping! She says we'll be gone two hours and we come back and it's been two days!"

Sisyphos chuckled as Manigoldo poured out a cup of water for him. He pulled himself into a sitting position and took the cup. His hands shook a little, but Manigoldo was relieved to see he would be able to drink without help.

"Thank you."

Manigoldo snorted.

"Thank me by getting well so I can get on with my life."

A cough from behind him made Manigoldo turn around. Sage stood in the doorway, the look on his face amused.

"You still have four weeks left of your punishment, Manigoldo", he "so kindly" reminded his pupil.

"If I may, Sir", Sisyphos said in a soft voice, as though afraid of overstepping his bounds.

"You may" Sage replied.

Sisyphos looked at Manigoldo.

"I heard what happened from Asmita, and I think you're being a little too harsh with Manigoldo."

Manigoldo knocked the pitcher to the floor in his surprise. Ice cold water flooded the floor as the clay jug shattered.

Sage chuckled.

"Do you now?"

Manigoldo knelt down and started picking up the shattered pieces of the pitcher.

"I'm sorry, Sir."

The aged Pope just shook his head in amusement.

"And why do you feel that way, young Sisyphos of Sagittarius?"

If Sisyphos noticed Sage's use of the formal title, he gave no indication of it. He simply placed his cup on the night stand and said "I understand he overstepped his bounds, but I think three months is a rather long time. Such a harsh punishment only enforces the lesson that it is wrong to stand up for the ones you care about. I'll admit if I was in Manigoldo's shoes, and it was Ilias being insulted, I might be tempted to act the same way."

Sage nodded.

"But you would hold yourself back. You would not act on your temptations."

"I would not", Sisyphos agreed. "But that is where our personalities are different. You can't expect Manigoldo to act like you or me or anyone but himself."

Manigoldo finished picking up the pieces of the shattered jug and pitched them into a nearby garbage pail. Was the old man really allowing himself to be lectured by a fifteen-year-old?

Sage shook his head again, though this time he looked more sad than amused. His expression became very soft and distant, as though he were remembering someone. He'd seen the same look on his aunt's face whenever she had spoken of his father.

"I can tell you were the right choice for this cloth." Sage smiled fondly at his ailing Saint. "You are wise beyond your years and you have a kind heart. That will serve you well in the years to come."

The aged Pope turned to face his pupil.

"Very well, Manigoldo. After tonight, your punishment is over."

Manigoldo opened his mouth to speak, but the words never got a chance to come out. El Cid poked his head in the doorway at that exact moment.

"Are we interupting something?" the quiet boy asked. He raked his fingers through his thick black hair.

Sage lifted an eyebrow.

"You are not, but aren't you supposed to be in the kitchen?"

"Erin sent us to bring Sisyphos his lunch."

He stepped in the room, carrying a tray. Close behind him was Ilias, a sleeping Regulus tucked under his arm.

"Erin has Gold Saints doing kitchen work for her now!?" Manigoldo couldn't help but blurt out.

Ilias chuckled.

"She does not. I decided to come visit my brother while Regulus was still asleep and ran into El Cid on my way here. Though from what I hear, your friend Atticus is doing a wonderful job in there. I believe I heard Erin throwing a pot at him on my way up here."

The Leo saint edged himself onto the corner of his brother's bed and El Cid handed the lunch tray to his friend.

"I should get back to the kitchen now."

Sisyphos looked a little disappointed.

"You can't stay a few minutes and talk to us?" he asked.

"He can stay as long as you'd like him to" Sage said, smiling in Manigoldo's direction.

Manigoldo knew what was coming next.

"Manigoldo, head down to the kitchen and see if Erin needs any more help. And no goofing off."

With a huff, the Cancer trainee turned and stomped out of Sagittarius temple.

* * *

><p>"I have no idea what I am wearing, and I can already tell you I hate it."<p>

Night had finally come around, after many torturous hours of peeling potatoes, chopping onions, and dodging pans, and the trainees were being tended to by the maids to make sure they looked presentable for a formal party.

Asmita pulled uncomfortably at the clothes he had been forced into for the evening.

"It's cruel, isn't it?" Atticus whispered to Manigoldo. "Forcing a blind six-year-old into such horrible clothing."

Manigoldo snorted.

"Why are you even here? Last I checked, Cerberus is a Silver cloth, not a Gold one."

"Trying to pull rank on me? Cause I'm catching up to you."

"The only way you're catching up to me is in height...good thing, too. I don't think Athena wants short Saints guarding her."

Atticus stuck his tongue out.

"I'm here because until we're actually granted cloth, you and I are on the same level. Your master's the one who put me in this group."

Manigoldo tugged at the collar on his silk shirt.

"I hope that maid gets here soon so she can look at us and we can get this over with."

As though answering his demand, a young maid stepped into the room. She had long black hair and large, dark eyes. She held a hairbrush in her hands and wore a shy smile.

"Hi, Miss Miranda", Atticus said cheerfully.

Manigoldo frowned. He felt like he should have known the girl's name, and yet, he couldn't for the life of him recall seeing her before.

"Tuck your shirt in, please. Both of you."

The boys looked at their untucked shirts and sighed.

"Do we have to?"

The words were out of Manigoldo's mouth before he could stop them.

Miranda chuckled as she set to work brushing Asmita's thick hair.

"Of course you do."

"Of course" Manigoldo echoed.

Atticus frowned.

"Be nice to this one, kay? She's not like Erin. She won't do well if you throw barbs at her."

Manigoldo sighed and forced a smile onto his face.

"This better?"

"Not really...now you look like you're plotting to murder someone in their sleep."

Atticus pushed his hair away from his face. The effort was wasted as the impossibly straight strands flopped right back into place.

Manigoldo laughed.

"Don't put that past me."

He laughed again and this time, Atticus joined in.

* * *

><p>The party was a long affair, full of dancing, music, and lots of food. It seemed like everyone within the immediate proximity of the Sanctuary came out to see the induction of the new Sagittarius saint. Manigoldo understood part of the excitement was simply in the fact that Sisyphos was the first new gold saint since Ilias.<p>

"Think we'll get parties like this when we become saints?" Manigoldo asked Atticus as they sat side-by-side, sipping drinks Miranda had brought to them.

"You might. I won't." Atticus replied.

"Huh? How come?"

Atticus chuckled.

"Manigoldo, do you honestly think that _every _saint gets an induction party like this? Only gold saints get parties."

The Cancer trainee shrugged.

"Never thought about it, really."

He set his cup aside and looked at his friend.

"I've always wondered how they determined who was destined for which cloth."

"My master says the cloth chooses its owner. It determines who it wants to wear it. Then it's the Pope's job to ensure cloth and destined wearer are able to work together. If you'd have actually asked your own master that, I'm sure you would have been saved months of wondering."

Atticus stretched his arms over his head and continued:

"Though I wouldn't want to be the Gemini saint anyway. I hear that cloth is cursed."

Manigoldo was really begining to wonder if Atticus was mentally deranged.

"Cursed? How can a cloth be cursed?"

"I heard the person who wears it usually suffers from a split personality and gets driven insane."

Manigoldo thought of Asperos and snorted.

"Riiiiiiiiiggggggggghhhhhhhttt. Ok."

He stood up.

"I'm going to get some food."

Atticus nodded.

"I promised Kathia I would dance with her."

Manigoldo watched his friend bounce off and shook his head. Was everyone around him becoming girl crazy?

He started to walk towards the food table when a petite girl caught his attention. She had a pretty face and long, curly red hair.

Then again...

He walked over towards her to ask her to dance with him.

* * *

><p>AN: And that's the end of this chapter. It's just a stepping stone chapter, kind of a filler, to move into the next segment of the story. I hope it worked. =)


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: WOW! Has it really been six months since my last update!? My, where does the time go? Anyhow, this is the last official chapter of The Ties that Bind, as I am working with my friend on making this a trilogy. Next week I will post the epilogue for Binds and move into the second part of the story, The Fates that Seal. =) I would like a moment to thank everyone for their reviews, faves, and follows. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Spring hung in the air, and with it, Manigoldo found himself growing restless with untapped energy. Sage called it "spring fever" and worked him extra hard, but it did little to quell the constant stream in his body. Manigoldo had no way at his young age of figuring out how to describe his feeling, but he knew it was more than "spring fever".<p>

Something was about to happen. Something big.

Unable to figure out how to communicate to Sage what his restlessness actually meant, he did his best to endure the rigorous course of training set out in front of him. He would drag himself to bed at night, aching and bruised, but unable to sleep because of the constant whirl in his mind. He couldn't shake it.

It was driving him crazy.

"You look like Hell"

Manigoldo jumped and saw Atticus staring at him.

He was alarmed by his friend's appearance. After not seeing him for almost two months, he wasn't sure he was actually looking at Atticus. His friend's face was pale, dark circles rimmed his eyes, and he was sure Atticus was losing weight.

He rushed over to him.

"Me!? Have you seen yourself!? What's wrong with you?"

Atticus pulled away from Manigoldo, as though distancing himself from him. His green eyes settled on the ground, his gaze refusing to meet Manigoldo's.

Manigoldo noticed a small trail of blood at the corner of his friend's mouth and put it together.

"Your illness. It came back."

He was shaking like a leaf. Of course it came back. People didn't actually recover. Not from tuberculosis. When Atticus had told him he'd had consumption as a kid, he'd asked Sage what that was. He should have known.

"The doctors said it never went away...apparently they've discovered the illness can clear up spontaneously and lie dormant for a while, then come back. It's not common, but it does happen from time to time."

Atticus kicked at the ground, dirt settling on his toes.

"I've come to say goodbye to you, Manigoldo. You're my best friend, after all. It didn't seem right for me to just drop off the Earth and leave you wondering what happened to me."

"G-Goodbye?"

The word tasted sour in Manigoldo's mouth. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he thought he might throw up. While he knew what Atticus meant, he did not want to hear it.

"I'm going to die. There's nothing that can be done for me now. Your master found a nice family to take me in and care for me until the end comes. He offered to speak with you, but I told him I wanted to tell you myself."

Tears filled Atticus's eyes and he clenched his hands into fists.

Manigoldo grabbed one of his friend's shaking hands.

"It'll come by and visit you. I'm sure my master won't mind."

Atticus shook his head.

"I'm going to get very sick over the next few months. Horribly sick-sicker than you can even imagine. I don't want you to see me like that. I want you to remember me healthy and strong."

He turned and ran away then. Startled, Manigoldo went to follow him, but was caught by a hand around his arm.

"Let him go, Manigoldo. It's what he wants."

Sage's face was soft and sympathetic-his eyes were slightly red and puffy, as though he'd been crying.

A thousand emotions ran through Manigoldo's body-hurt. Anger. Frustration. Sadness.

In the end, the sadness won out. He threw himself into Sage's arms and cried.

Sage said nothing. He simply held onto his student and allowed him to cry.

* * *

><p>"I want to resign from training."<p>

Sage slowly lifted his gaze from the book he was reading and faced the small form standing before the Papal desk.

"Resign?"

Manigoldo swallowed hard, afraid if he prolonged the conversation, he would lose his nerve.

"Y-yes. I do not wish to be a Saint any longer."

Sage eyed him critically.

"Your emotions are running high. I will not accept your resignation request."

Manigoldo slammed his fists into the heavy wooden desk.

"Damn it, Old Man! I'm telling you I don't want to do this anymore!"

Sage stood calmly.

"One month. If you still do not wish to continue to be a Saint at that time, we will discuss it. But make sure you choose wisely. The penalty for resigning is death. Your lessons will be suspended for the time being."

Manigoldo took a step back. Death? He searched Sage's face for any hint of deception. There was none.

"Death is a way of life, Manigoldo. You told me so a year ago when I took you in. Yet I see you're beginning to learn the realities of it. I also see that you believe yourself caught-believe everyone caught."

Sage draped an arm around Manigoldo's lean shoulders and pulled him against his side. To Manigoldo's surprise, he still felt safe there.

"We aren't just play things for the Gods."

Manigoldo sighed. He was too exhausted to put up a fight. His emotions were like the drain in Sage's bath chamber-it was like someone had pulled a cork in his body, and everything had poured out.

Never in his life had he felt so empty before.

"I-I want to believe you, but I can't. If we're not pawns, why do we face so much suffering? And then when we die, we face even more? I don't understand it."

"We can't choose what the Gods throw at us. And some are vengeful. Some want to see you hurt. What we do control is HOW we handle our situations. Don't let them beat you down. Whatever happens, fight through it. Live!"

Manigoldo nodded. Hadn't Atticus said something similar?

"One month. I expect you to be alive for your next birthday."

His birthday. That was coming up. He remembered Hasgard had been named the Taurus saint a few weeks earlier and changed his name to Aldebaran, after the constellation's brightest star.

The star Atticus had asked about and Degel had named that night Kardia had collapsed. How long ago that seemed!

Manigoldo said nothing as he walked out of the office. He had too much to think about.

* * *

><p>"Can I sit here?"<p>

Manigoldo was pulled from his brooding by El Cid's voice.

"I don't care" he replied.

The Capricorn trainee settled down next to him.

"I heard you are considering dropping out."

Manigoldo shifted his gaze towards the black-haired boy.

"What's it to you?"

"I assume you know what dropping out means?"

El Cid answered Manigoldo's question with one of his own.

"Of course."

El Cid's dark eyes bore into him.

"Than you are a bigger fool than I thought."

Manigoldo felt a surge of red-hot anger course through his body. He grabbed the front of El Cid's shirt.

"What the hell did you say!?"

El Cid calmly pulled Manigoldo's hands off.

"If you quit because life got a little hard then you're an idiot. People don't just give up and run away because things are tough."

"What would you know!?"

The Capricorn trainee's eyes never softened. His face remained his usual stony mask, his expression unreadable.

"When I was training, I had a partner. A girl named Mine. She died of tuberculosis. I know. I know very well."

The news floored Manigoldo.

"H-how can you speak so calmly about that!?"

El Cid stood up.

"Because I am not going to insult her memory. If you value your friendship you wouldn't do something as stupid as throw your life away."

He tipped his head to one side, and for just a second, Manigoldo thought he saw a glimmer of emotion in the stoic boy's lacquer eyes.

"Ilias will eventually die of the same thing. I guess in a weird way you could say losing those we care for is the tie that binds us all together. Please choose wisely. Losing you would destroy your master...I don't think Sisyphos would take it too well, either."

He walked off, without another word. Manigoldo stared after him in disbelief. He honestly believed that was El Cid's way of giving him a pep talk. The boy was normally quiet and not one to coddle. Even now his words and demeanor had been sharp as a blade.

It was exactly what he needed to hear. He rushed off to find Sage and tell him he'd made his decision.

* * *

><p>A week later, to Manigoldo's surprise, a letter arrived for him. He opened the envelope as soon as Sage put it in his hands and two things slid out. The first was a heavy, ornate chain of silver. A coin-like pendant hung from the chain, a beautiful woman carved onto the coin. Her eyes were set with two tiny diamonds, giving her the appearance of gray eyes with lots of depth. Manigoldo fingered the pendant, amazed at the craftsmanship of it.<p>

The second thing in the envelope was a piece of parchment. Scrawled on it in a messy hand was a message in Italian.

_Mi stanco e vuole dormire. Buona notte, mio fratello. Andare per realizzare i vostri sogni._

I grow tired and wish to sleep. Good night, my brother. Go for your dreams.

Tears filled Manigoldo's eyes. Atticus.

"Manigoldo? Are you alright?"

He'd forgotten Sage was still there. Wordlessly, he passed the note and necklace over to his master.

Sage also stared at the necklace in wonderment, but Manigoldo could tell by his expression it was a different kind of fascination.

"Atticus sent these for you?" he finally asked.

Manigoldo nodded.

"I knew that boy looked familiar! His great grandfather must have been Cerberus Marcello. Marcello was the last Cerberus in a while..."

Manigoldo took advantage of Sage's open mood.

"Master? Who is the woman on this coin?"

"This is a depiction of the last reincarnation of Athena."

"You keep it." Manigoldo offered a lazy grin at his master.

Sage shook his head.

"Your friend gave this to you. It's yours."

"I know, but I will probably lose it. Besides." Manigoldo dropped the pendant into Sage's hand and closed his fingers around it. "I want to see Athena for myself. Something tells me she won't have gray eyes this time around."

"Oh?" Sage replied. "And what makes you say that?"

Manigoldo grinned.

"I think they'll be green. She's supposed to be the goddess of wisdom, after all. The two wisest people I know have green eyes."

Together, master and student laughed.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: This is it. The Epilogue chapter. This story is officially finished. I've already started The Fates that Seal, though, so look for that in two weeks. I am going to make every attempt to update bi-weekly from now on.

* * *

><p>t was a hot August afternoon when Manigoldo received the word that Atticus had passed on. A letter arrived, hand-delivered to him by Aldebaran, that told him of the news. Manigoldo was not surprised. Somehow, he'd known before he even got word. He had felt his friend's spirit leave this life.<p>

Sage noticed a change in his student in the weeks following Atticus' death. On the surface, he was still confident and cocky. He still spoke informally. He trained harder than ever before. Yet Sage could tell he was depressed. His eyes were no longer bright, but dull, and he seemed to be spending more and more time on his own.

One day while he was going through the children's training reports, an idea came to him. Pisces Lugonis' pupil, Albafica. A child who would live a life of solitude.

* * *

><p>"You summoned me, Sir?"<p>

Sage didn't even have to look up to know it as Lugonis. The heady aroma of fresh-cut roses filled the air almost immediately. Pisces saints became the very essence of the roses they used, until even their own blood was toxic. He knew Lugonis' scent well.

"I had a question about young Albafica. How is he handling his training?"

"I have no reservations about his abilities. He is more than capable of becoming my successor." Lugonis shifted back away from the Papal desk a little bit as he spoke. "However, he seems to have a gentle heart. He does not want to harm anyone."

"And you have not yet told him what the final test for the Pisces cloth will be?"

Sage already knew the answer.

"I have not. I am afraid if he knows that, for him to live, I have to die, he won't take his training seriously anymore. The fact is, in a few years, only one of us will still be alive. That is how it always has been." Lugonis pulled his fingers through his long hair.

"You have to tell him, Lugonis. He has a right to know what he is going in to."

"I will, in time. He still has five years left of his training. No need to burden him with the news now."

Sage smiled a touch sadly.

"It goes quickly."

He had difficulty believing at times that Manigoldo was already twelve. It seemed like just the other day he had found the child and brought him in for training.

"Was that all, Sir?" Lugonis asked.

Sage had the feeling that the younger man was craving the solitude of his temple.

"I would like to arrange a meeting between your pupil and mine" Sage replied. "As you are aware, the nature of the Cancer constellation provides a partial immunity against the Pisces poison. Manigoldo would be in no danger so long as he does not get Albafica's blood on him, and even then, it is doubtful he would die. I feel both could benefit from the companionship."

He did not add that ever since Sisyphos was awarded his cloth, the tension between El Cid and Manigoldo had become nearly tangible. The Sagittarius saint had helped smooth the tension, but with him gone, it was apparent that El Cid and Manigoldo clashed.

Lugonis eyed Sage, as though thinking over the Pope's suggestion. Finally, he agreed.

Sage thanked the man and dismissed him. Albafica had a private study session in the library that very afternoon.

* * *

><p>Manigoldo was less than thrilled with the news.<p>

"You really expect me to go spend time with a freak who never shows his face around here?"

"He's not a freak" Sage responded.

Manigoldo glared at Sage.

"You're trying to replace Atticus. I don't need a new friend!"

Sage shook his head.

"You're wrong, Manigoldo. I know no one can take his place-just as no one could take my brother's place in my heart. I am not trying to find a replacement friend for you. I just think you might handle this difficult time a little easier if you had someone to talk to."

Manigoldo sighed. His master always got soft when he mentioned his twin. He also knew he had to obey.

"Fine. But if I don't like him, I'm not being nice to him."

"Oh, you'll like him" Asmita's voice piped up from Sage's side.

Manigoldo frowned.

"Where did you come from?"

Asmita grinned cheekily.

"I've been here the whole time."

Sage chuckled.

"Don't worry about him. Go to the library and meet Albafica."

Manigoldo didn't even respond.

* * *

><p>Manigoldo arrived to the library to find it almost completely deserted. There was only one person studying at a long table. The person was slender and graceful-looking. A curtain of pale blue, glossy hair hung in a straight sheet around the stranger's shoulders as the stranger hunched over a book, studying.<p>

Manigoldo pulled out the chair across from this person.

"Are you Albafica?"

The stranger lifted their head and Manigoldo found himself staring at the most beautiful person he had ever seen. Hadn't Sage said Albafica was a boy?

Large eyes as blue as the sky stared at him.

"Yes, my name is Albafica."

The boy sounded confused.

Manigoldo forced a smile onto his face, wondering why he had agreed to this.

"My name's Manigoldo. I'm Pope Sage's student…"

Albafica shrugged his shoulders.

"I know who you are. Nice to meet you, I guess."

Manigoldo sighed and got up, crossing over to Albafica's side. Maybe the boy was reading something he had already studied and he could open up a conversation that way. He hated the thought of spending the afternoon talking about books, but he couldn't return now, either.

Albafica jumped as though Manigoldo had electrocuted him. His pale, thin hand slammed against the rough, splintered corner of the table he was working on. Manigoldo winced as a deep cut formed on the Pisces trainee's palm.

"You're hurt" he said. "Let me see."

"NO!" Albafica shouted. By now, he looked like a cornered animal. His blue eyes were wide in alarm and he clutched his bleeding hand to his chest. "Don't touch it!"

"Look, just let me wrap it for you-you can't wrap your own hand…"

Tears sprung in Albafica's eyes and he shook his head. His expression was tortured.

"N-no. You don't understand. I can't explain. Don't touch it!"

The light-haired boy scrambled from the library.

Manigoldo stared after him, stunned.

Clearly, there was something Sage wasn't telling him. Something involving Albafica's blood.

After all, normal blood held a metallic scent. Call him crazy, but he was sure Albafica's smelled like flowers.

* * *

><p>"I had no idea the child was that far along in his training."<p>

Of all the responses Sage could have given him, that was the last one Manigoldo expected.

"Training? What are you talking about?"

"Manigoldo, there's a reason I wanted you to become friends with Albafica. It's because, of all the Gold saints, you'll be the only one who can be around him for any period of time. When it comes time for you two to do missions, you will have to go together."

Manigoldo blinked at his master.

"Ok, that was the last answer I was expected. I'm confused. Why am I the only one who can be around him?"

Sage smiled, though it was a sad smile.

"As you know, Cancer is a cloth that deals primarily with souls and the dead. For some reason, this gives Cancer a natural immunity to the poison of Pisces. As Albafica gets stronger, his blood will become more and more toxic-so toxic, a person would not be able to be around him for long. You yourself stated his blood did not smell right."

Manigoldo nodded.

"It smelled like flowers-the scent was faint, but his blood did not smell metallic at all."

"Albafica ran away from you because he didn't want to harm you. You can be around him, but your immunity to the poison is not complete."

"S-so if I had touched his blood, I would have gotten sick?" Manigoldo whispered the question. The thought of toxic blood made him suddenly pity the Pisces trainee.

"Probably." Sage replied.

"I have to go find him and apologize" Manigoldo said. "If I had known, I wouldn't have gone right up to his side like that. I freaked him out and made him cut himself."

Sage nodded.

It was incredible how much Manigoldo had matured since that night he'd discovered him.

* * *

><p>As it turned out, Manigoldo did not need to find Albafica. The Pisces trainee was the one who found him first. Manigoldo was glad to see his hand had been cleaned and wrapped.<p>

"I wanted to apologize for how I acted yesterday" Albafica said quietly.

"Ah, no worries" Manigoldo replied lazily. "My master explained what happened. But I think we should try to get to know each other. After all, we're going to be sent on missions together once we're both Gold saints."

Albafica smiled shyly.

"I would like that."

Manigoldo wasn't sure what the future would hold for them. He had no way of knowing what the Gods would throw at them, but he was prepared. He was not going to be a pawn, he would work his hardest and live his life to the fullest.

As he walked back to the library with Albafica, he swore he saw Atticus smiling at him. His friend's image was gone before he could even blink.

Yes, he would live every day to the fullest and be the best Saint he could be.

He smiled heavenward. His future suddenly seemed bright.


End file.
